Mihir Patkar writes: “Spotify is no longer just a music streaming service. At a mega-event in New York, Spotify has launched a bunch of new features, including video streaming and original content, in a bid to become an entertainment hub for its users. As the champion of the music industry, it’s a bit of a surprise to see Spotify get into the on-demand video business. Is there room for it alongside Netflix and YouTube? Only time will tell.”

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Cyrus Farivar writes: “Crypto nerds have now firmly set their sights on public libraries, with the ultimate goal of setting up Tor exit relays in as many as possible. As of now, only about 1,000 exit relays exist worldwide. If this plan is successful, it could vastly increase the scope and speed of the famed anonymizing network. The plan is being executed by the Library Freedom Project, a group trying to get libraries to incorporate more privacy tools into their everyday operations.”

Activists worried about online privacy are sending Congress a message with some old-school technology: They’re sending faxes—more than 6.2 million, they claim—to express opposition to the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act. Why faxes? “Congress is stuck in 1984 and doesn’t understand modern technology,” according to the campaign Fax Big Brother. The week-long campaign was organized by the nonpartisan Electronic Frontier Foundation and the activist group Fight for the Future.

Katrina Schwartz writes: “Some adults worry that kids’ reading for pleasure is in danger of disappearing. But creative school librarians are proving there are plenty of great ways to get kids excited about reading on their own. Michelle Luhtala, librarian at New Caanan (Conn.) High School, is implementing many innovative ideas to get kids reading in her school; she also asked colleagues to weigh in with their own ideas to promote independent reading at every grade level.”

ALA Editions will host a new four-week facilitated eCourse, “Innovative Approaches to Library Instruction: Online to Face-to-Face,” taught by Paul Signorelli and starting on September 14. The eCourse will cover a survey of Connected Learning, the Flipped Classroom model, connectivist MOOCs, and innovations in learning spaces that support various approaches to learning in libraries. Registration can be purchased through the ALA Store.

ALA Editions will host a new six-week facilitated eCourse, “Intermediate Instructional Design for Information Literacy,” with Cinthya Ippoliti as the instructor, starting on September 14. The eCourse is designed as a case study where you will work with an existing instructional problem that you will resolve through the design thinking process. Registration is available through the ALA Store.

ALA Editions, in collaboration with the San Jose State University School of Information, is offering a new 12-week Advanced eCourse, “Copyright 101,” beginning on September 14 and facilitated by Mary Minow, attorney, librarian, and copyright expert. The course will be delivered entirely online with coursework completed asynchronously. Registration may be purchased through the ALA Store.